Generator drive



Jan. 9, 1540.

.1. F. GORDON s -rAL GENERATOR DRIVE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 28, 19157 IWW/whom d Z @fda/1 &

Jan. 9, 1940. l 1 F, GORDON Er AL 2,186,290

GENERATOR DRIVE Filed JuneZB, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EJE Patented Jan. 9, 1940 4UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE 2,186,290 GENERATOR DRIVE John F. Gordon and Christiaan H. Bouvy, Detroit, Mich., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application .lune 28,'l937, Serial No. 15@,778

engaging the internal teeth of a ring gear i3 secured to one end of the drive 'shaft li. The transmission oi drive through the step-up gearing causes the generator to be run at a much higher speed than the 'drive shaft il.

The driving shaft is mounted within the bearlng support 3 through a pair of spaced antiiriction bearings lil and the iront end of 'the hollow support is closed by a wiper seal i5 engaging the hub it lreyed on the end of the vshaft il rod held in place by the fastening nut ll. Seemed to an annular flange oi the hub it by the studs I8 are a radiator ian i9 and a pair of stamped metal belt pulleys 2li and 2i. These pulleys are adapted to be driven by belts B2-22 from a multiple il-groove pulley 23 on the engine crankshaft. A pair oi water pumps or the like may also be driven by the same belts. it will be noted that the driving and driven pulleys are of approximately the same diameter, although the ian pulley may be slightly smaller, Wherefore the'shait li and the radiator ian i9 mounted at one end. thereof will be driven at substantially engine speed to promote quietness, while the generator, due .to the overspeed gearings, will be operated at a speed exceeding engine speed.

t Elairus.

sBris invention relates to internal combustion engines for motor vehicles and more particularly to an improved accessory drive mechanism.

among the objects ot the invention is the provision ci a drive transmitting arrangement whereby' the engine driven auxiliaries will oe run in proportion 'to engine speed at proper speeds to perform their functions. More especially the structure involved serves to drive the electric generator faster than engine speeds to insure ample output or" current during low speed operation.

another object is to enable the use with a large engine, to be manufactured in relatively small quantity, ci a standard size generator and thus eliminate the expense or a special generator to secure the necessary power output.

A iurther object oi the invention is to provide for an abundant supply of lubricant for the operating parts at all times and to maintain a circulation oi lubricant during normal operation;

Other objects and advantages will become apparent during the course of the following specification having reference to the accompanying drawings wherein `Figure l is a side elevation or an engine embodying the present invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view oi the drive mechanism; Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3 3 of Figure 2; Figure 4 shows a modificatlon in section; Figure 5 is a View looking in the direction oi the arrows on line S-d of Figure tand Figure 6 is a detail section taken on line 5 5 ot Figure 5.

The engine shown in the drawings is of the sixteen cylinder V-type and includes a crankcase I having e pair of angularly arranged cylinder blocks, only one being seen at 2. Within the V space between the cylinder blocks is a. generator 3 removably mounted on the rear face of an adjustable mounting plate 4. To enable adjustment of the mounting plate for tensioning the belt drive one side is plvotally mounted on the cylinder block by a stud 5 while the other side has an elongated slot 6 through which extends a setscrew 'I to hold the plate in any position to which it is swung about the pivot 5 within the range ofs the slot 6,

Removably secured on the front face ofthe mounting plate is a. hollow bearing support 8 having an enlarged concentric chamber 9 which cooperates with the mounting plate 4 to ail'ord a lubricant storage reservoir and a housing for overspeed gearing between the generator shaft III and the drive shaft Il. The gearing includes a pinion I2 keyed to the generator shaft Il andmeshing gears l2 and i3 it is proposed to circulate oil through vthe hollow bearing support from the regular engine driven pressure lubrication system. Accordingly, a flexible conduit 24 leads from a suitable portion of the pressure system and is connected by a coupling to the drilled passageway 25 in the support 8 from which leads a lateral passage having therein a metering plug 26. From this metering plug oil under pressure is directed through suitable spaced openings 21 in the rotatable ring gear I3 onto the gear pinion I2 and the intermeshing teeth of the pinion and ring gear. This supply of lubricant is continuous throughout engine operation. The enlarged chamber 9 forms in the lower portion thereof a. trap or reservoir which tends to collect the lubricant delivered through the metering plug 26, and the ring gear I3 moving through the oil supply serves to agitato the oil and continuously splash the same throughout the hollowsupport 8 insuring ample lubrication of the bearings I4.

Excess lubricant flows through a drilled passageway 28 leading downwardly .from the bottom of the mounting from a height considerably above the collecting well provided by the cham- For lubricating the bearings i4 and the inter-l ber 8 and through a flexible pipe 29 into the 55 compartment 30, housing the usual camshaft chain drive from the engine crankshaft. Thus the camshaft drive is supplied with lubrication and from the'compartment 30 the oil returns to the engine crankcase for recirculation through the engine lubricating system in the usual fashion.J After engine operation ceases the oil on the operating parts tends to drain into the well or bottom of the chamber 9 and to be there retained for immediate lubrication of the parts upon the resumption of engine operation. A groove 3| extends beneath the rearmost bearing I4 and leads from the chamber 9 to the drilled passage 28 to constitute a spillway or overflow which determines the height to which lubricant may be stored within the chamber 9.

As an alternative and slightly less expensive expedient, the friction overdrive for the generator, illustrated. in Figure 4 has been devised. In this case the adjustable mounting bracket 40 secured by the studs 4I and 42, supports in a double row ball bearing 43, the shaft 44 of the belt driven assembly. The assemblyr includes the radiator fan 45 and a series of nested cupped stampings 46, 41 and 48, all secured by studs 49 to the hub 50, keyedor otherwise fastened on the shaft 44. Annular V-shaped grooves to receive drive belts are'formed in the rims of the stampings 46 and 41, while the rim of the innermost stamping 4.8 terminates in a cylindrical portion to the interior of which is fitted a reinforcing ring 5I. Openings 52 adjacent the rim provide for ventilation and thel escape of grease and dirt from the interior of cup 48. Fitted to the inner surface of the ring 5I is an internal friction driving ring 53 preferably of fabricreinforced rubber, engaging the driving wheel 54 ofthev generator 55, and through which is effected a generator speed higher than fan speed. The armature shaft 56 to which the wheel 54 is keyed is mounted in a bearing 51 carried by the front plate 58V of the generatorA casing, and the plate in turn is mounted by cap screws at 59 and '60 on the adjustable bracket .40. The cap screw 59 extends through an ear on one side of the plate 58 and is threaded into the bracket 40 to provide a pivot axis `while the cap screw 60 also threaded into the bracket projects through an elongated slot in an ear on the other side of the plate and when lock the adjustable mounting in fixed position, l0

a radiator fan directly driven from said sheave, a generator movable as a unit with the mounting upon belt tensioning adjustment and carried wholly by said mounting on an axis offset from the sheave and friction overdrive means between 15 said sheave and generator unaffected by belt tensioning adjustment.

2. Engine accessory drive means including a belt driven assembly, an adjustable mounting bracket therefor for regulating belt tension, an 20 internal friction drive ring forming a part of said assembly, and an accessory device adjustably mounted on said bracket and having a drive wheel in friction drive engagement with the in 2,5

terior of said ring.

3. Engine accessory drive means including a mounting bracket, a radiator fan assembly ro-` tatably mounted in said bracket, a ring carried by said assembly and provided with an internal friction drive surface concentric with the axis of rotation/of the assembly, an accessory drive wheel offset from said axis in friction drive engagement with said surface, and means adjustably mounting said wheel on the bracket to regulate the friction contact between said surface and the v wheel.

4. A belt driven accessory arrangement, including a shaft having a belt driven pulley at one end and a friction driving member at the other end, an adjustable shaft bearing support for tensioning the pulley drive belt, a generator having a friction driven member for drive engagement with said friction driving member and means adjustably mounting the generator on said support to locate said members in -friction driving engagement.

JoHNr". GORDON. CHRISTIAAN H. BoUVY. 

